Rug shampooer and scrubber

ABSTRACT

A WHEELED HOUSING CARRIES A MOTOR HAVING A SHAFT EXTENDING INTO THE HOUSING TO DRIVE A ROTOR WHICH CARRIES SCRUBBING BRUSHES AND FOAM-GENERATING ROLLERS. THE ROLLERS ARE ENGAGED UNDER PRESSURE WITH AN ANNULAR SPONGE SURROUNDING THE ROTOR AND SUPPLIED WITH LIQUID DETERGENT WHICH, AS THE ROTOR AND SUPPLIED WITH LIQUID DETERGENT MANIPULATION OF THE SPONGE AS THE ROLLERS COMPRESS AND RELEASE IT. THE BRUSH CARRIER WHICH IS PART OF THE ROTOR HAS SCOOPS FOR DEFLECTING THE FOAM THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE CARRIER TO PASS DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN THE BRISTLES OF THE BRUSHES TO LOOSEN DIRT IN THE RUG TO BE LIFTED TO THE SURFACE BY THE ACTION OF THE BRUSHES.

Nov. 30, 1971 s. PACK 3,623,171

RUG SHAMPGOER AND SCRUBBER Filed Deo. l5, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet l I' K l I5 I 44 j m l L lill; I Lu u \3 0 l 25m-W *1 1 /O 43 I O n /Z Za i l E'.z i? n Hl A lll l 1 I1 1 M 1 l UIN MK 2.2 I i 44 I u l ll/ I 40 d 34 271.5.1, 6J-firk l Z' 2f 4a f 4t2/fi'. 30 135:1 47 47 E I 27 5o 48 *w /-zf 1,/- l l/ 50 l /Z NVENT'OK SAM PAQ@ ATTO :News

Nov. 30, 1971 s. PACK 3,623,177

RUG SHAMPOOER AND SCRUBBER Filed Deo. l5, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v m, KM,NH41- Nov. 30, 1971 Filed Dec. l5, 1969 S. PACK RUG SHAMPOOER ANDSCRUBBER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aviv-TOR 5,4m pQcK Afronvmvs United StatesPatent O Fice 13 Claims ABSTRACT OE THE DISCLOSURE A wheeled housingcarries a motor having a shaft extending into the housing to drive arotor which carries scrubbing brushes and foam-generating rollers. Therollers are engaged under pressure with an annular sponge surroundingthe rotor and supplied with liquid detergent which, as the rotor turns,is turned into foam by the manipulation of the sponge as the rollerscompress and release it. The brush carrier which is part of the rotorhas scoops for defiecting the foam through openings in the carrier topass downwardly between the bristles of the brushes to loosen dirt inthe rug to be lifted to the surface by the action of the brushes.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Devices for this same general purpose arewell-known but relatively unwieldy and complex. The objective of thepresent invention is to produce a more simple structure foraccomplishing the desired cleaning of the rug.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The hand-propelled and guided housing is supportedin part by rear wheels and in part by the brushes mounted on a rotorwhich is actuated by a motor preferably supported externally on top ofthe housing. The water and detergent in a tank on the guiding handle isconveyed by a hose onto a sponge ring replaceably positioned in thehousing. This ring encircles the rotor which conveys motion to the brushcarrier. Mounted on the rotor for engagement with the annular sponge aresponge compressors which, as shown, are rollers. The several rollers, bycompressing and releasing the sponge, generate foam from the liquiddetergent preparation. The resulting foam falls downwardly into the pathof one or more scoops on the brush carrier. These scoops are associatedwith slots in the brush carrier through which the foam is dischargedbetween teh bristles of the brushes.

In a preferred arrangement particularly designed for application toexisting rug scrubbers, a replaceable sponge is adhered to a mountingring which, in turn, is adhered to the inner surface of the annulus madeby fastening inner and outer rings in telescopic engagement, such ringshaving axially spaced inwardly directed raidial flanges forming betweenthem a manifold overlying the sponge and into which the detergentsolution is delivered and from which it issues through holes which feedit to the sponge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of adevice embodying the invention, portions being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale tak-en in section 2-2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale in the plane indicatedat 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing in relatively separatedpositions a subhousing, a sponge ring mounted therein and a rollercarrier which is mounted on the rotor which drives the brush carrier.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the brush carrier as it appears ininverted position, details of the bristles being omitted.

3,623,177 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view onthe line 6 6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified and preferredembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail view taken in section on the line 8 8 ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view in perspective showing in relatively separatedpositions the component parts of the sub-housing and sponge ring used inthe embodiment of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The specific form of the mount 8 or the manner inwhich it is mounted and driven is immaterial to the invention. As shown,the mount 3 is a housing which has rear wheels at 10 but has its forwardportion supported only by the brushes 12. A handle 14 pivotallyconnected with the housing provides convenient means for guiding andpropelling the specific device shown. Mounted on' the handle is a tank16 for a liquid detergent preparation of any appropriate kind.Preferably, this is highly foamable. A valve-controlled pipe 18 conductsthis preparation from the tank 16 to the interior of housing 8.

Mounted on the mount 8 is an electric motor 20 having an armature shaft22 which actuates a rotor 24. In the instant device, this rotor is usedfor driving a sponge compressor carrier 26. Also driven by shaft 22 is abrush carrier 28 held by a fitting 29 and on which the bristlescomprising the brushes 12 are mounted.

The carrier 26 supports and drives a plurality of rollers 30 mounted onupright rods 32 supported by brackets 34. The carrier 26 is driven byrotor 24 and is fastened to the rotor by a series of set screws 27. Fordriving the brush 12 from shaft 22, the carrier 26 may be fastened tothe fitting 29 in any desired manner as by means of disk 31 to which thecarrier is screwed.

Attached to the under side of the mount 8 is a sponge carrier 38 whichis annular and encircles rotor 24. The annular sponge 40, of anyappropriate material, is mounted on a removable ring 42 fixed within thecarrier 38 and supplied with liquid detergent by means of the anerturedpipe 44 with which the tube 18 communicates. The pipe 44 has openings todischarge the detergent preparation onto the sponge 40 when the valve 46is open.

The radius at which the rollers 30 are carried is such that the sponge40 is compressed during the passage of each of the rollers 30. Theinitial thickness of the sponge is as indicated at the right in FIG. 2.Its compressed thickness is shown at the left in FIG. 2 where it isengaged by one of the rollers 30. This alternate expansion andcontraction of the sponge by the succesive rollers 30 develops foam fromthe detergent liquid.

The foam 47 is confined by the flange 48 on the brush carrier 28. Sincethe sponge does not rotate, the foam tends to be relatively stationaryand consequently is picked up by the scoops 50 of the brush carrier 28.These scoops are preferably placed tangentially as shown in FIGS. 3 and5 and they register with correspondingly disposed slots 52 through whichthe foam passes downwardly between the bristles of brushes 12. The foaminvolves relatively little liquid. It readily penetrates the rugtraversed by the device and loosens dirt which is thereupon lifted tothe surface of the rug by the scrubbing action of the bristles of thebrushes 12. The rug is merely dampened rather than soaked and the soilis readily removed.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is so designed as to beapplicable, with minor modifications, to a Wide variety of existing rugshampooing devices. No change is made in the mount or the brush carrierand brushes.

The particular housing S which is shown by way of exemplification hasbracing webs 54 upon its inner periphery. These are used for thedetachable support of the stationary components of the foam generatorgenerically designated by reference character 55.

These stationary components preferably comprise an outer annulus 56, andan inner annulus 58 telescoped into the outer annulus as shown in FIG.7. The releasable sponge ring 60 has an attaching ring 62 preferablymade of cloth and having adhesive connection with the inner surface ofthe ring 58.

The inner and outer rings 56 and 58 and sponge ring are separatelyillustrated in FIG. 9. Both rings have ilanges extending radiallyinwardly from their upper ends. The inner ring 58 has an upstandingextension llange at 64 which lits within the inner periphery 66 of thetop flange 68 of the outer ring 56 to form a manifold 70y for thedetergent liquid. This liquid is supplied to the manifold by the hose 18of FIG. l. The manifold distributes the liquid to various parts of thesponge 60 through the holes 72 in the wall 74 of the inner ring 58, suchwalls appearing both in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9. To assure retention of theliquid in the manifold 70 except as discharged through the ports 72, itis preferred to provide a gasket 75 of annular form which seats at itsupper margin against the llange 68 of the outer annulus 56 and seats atits lower margin against the llange 74 of the inner annulus 58 (FIG. 7).

The relatively stationary components of the foam generator as abovedescribed may be attached to the housing 8 in any appropriate mannerdepending on the design of the housing. When the housing 8 is providedwith Webs 54 as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a convenient means ofmounting comprises the provision of pairs of angles 76 welded to theexternal periphery of the annulus 56 and disposed to receive betweenthem the gussets or bracing webs 54. These gussets are clamped betweenthe angles by means of bolts 78 and are further positioned by the setscrews 80.

The foamable liquid thus distributed into the annular sponge 60 isdeveloped into foam as already described by the alternate compressionand release of successive portions of the sponge by the rotation of 'therollers 30 carried by brackets 34 from the rotor 24 at the lower end ofthe shaft 22.

I claim:

1. A rug shampooer and scrubber comprising a mount, a motor supported onthe mount and provided with a driving shaft, a rotor having operativeconnections to be driven by the shaft, a sponge compressor carrier and abrush carrier on the rotor, radially acting sponge compressor means onthe compressor carrier, a brush on the brush carrier, an annular spogeencircling the compressorv carrier and having a periphery disposed inthe path of movement of the sponge compressor means and at a radius suchthat said compressor means traverses its said periphery and said spongeis alternately compresesd and released thereby, means for supplying aliquid detergent mixture to the sponge to be foamed by the action of thecompressor means on the sponge, and means for delivering the resultingfoam to the brush.

2. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which the meansfor supplying liquid detergent mixture comprises an annular manifoldoverlying the sponge and provided with apertures for delivering liquidto the Sponge, and means for delivering the liquid detergent mixture tothe manifold.

3. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 2 in which saidmanifold comprises spaced upper and lower llanges on an annulus to whichthe sponge is attached.

4. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which the mountcomprises a downwardly opening housing encircling the rotor, a spongecarrier comprising a ring fixed to said housing, the sponge beingattached to the said carrier ring.

5. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which the spongecarrier comprises telescopically mated inner and outer annuli havingaxially spaced flanges, one of which has an annular axial llangeextension engaged marginally with the other said llange to provide amanifold, the llange of the inner annulus having apertures openingtoward the sponge.

6. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 5 in which the spongecarrier has means for detachably connecting it with said mount.

7. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 5 in which the spongehas adhesive connection with the inner of said annuli.'

8. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which the spongehas a mounting which includes inner and outer annuli having axiallyspaced llanges above the sponge, the sponge being attached to the innerof said annuli and the llange of the inner annulus being provided withports opening toward the sponge, means for enclosing the space 4betweenthe said flanges to provide a manifold from which said ports open, meansfor detachably connecting said annuli with said mount, the means forsupplying liquid detergent mixture comprising said manifold and meansfor delivering detergent mixture thereto.

9. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which the brushcarrier comprises an annulus having a marginal llange and provided withdownwardly extending bristles, said brush carrier having slots openingtoward said bristles and being provided with scoops disposed below thelevel of at least a part of the sponge and traversing the space beneathsaid sponge to pick up and deliver through Vsaid slots the foam producedby the action of said compressor means on said sponge.

10. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 1 in which thesponge compressor means include a plurality of rollers having bracketssupporting them from the sponge compressor carrier.

11. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 4 in which theannular sponge is mounted on said ring and said ring has meansdetachably supporting it from said mount to facilitate the replacementof said sponge.

12. A rug shampooer and cleaner according to claim 10 in which the brushcarrier comprises an annulus connected with the motor shaft for rotationthereby and having an upturned marginal llange at a radius greater thanthat of the sponge and further provided with downwardly extendingbristles and with slots opening toward said bristles, scoops on saidcarrier at a level beneath said sponge and adapted in the course ofcarrier rotation to pick up and deliver through said slots foam producedby the action of said rollers on the sponge.

13. A rug shampooer and scrubber according to claim 12 in which themeans for supplying a detergent mixture to the sponge comprises a pipearcuately extending about the sponge and provided with apertures, saidpipe having a valve-controlled connection lwith a supply tank and saidmount comprising a downwardly opening housing encircling the rotor andhaving a guide handle provided with said tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,212,117 10/1965 Ernstberger etal. 15-50 R 3,467,977 9/1969 Helm 15-50 R X 3,471,886 10/1969 Smith etal. 15-50 R EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 15-98

